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Isle of Man
:Note: As Wikipedia classifies the Isle of Man as a "country", Familypedia may as well do the same; so please insert it in the "Nation" field for any event listed on Form:Person. | conventional_long_name = '''Isle of Man' | common_name = the Isle of Man | image_flag = Flag of the Isle of Man.svg | image_coat = Coat of arms of the Isle of Man.svg | image_map = The Isle of Man.svg | map_caption = | national_motto = (Latin) Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand. | national_anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" " " (Manx) | royal_anthem = "God Save the Queen" | official_languages = English, ManxCIA - The World Factbook | demonym = Manx | capital = Douglas | latd=54 |latm=09 |latNS=N |longd=4 |longm=29 |longEW=W | largest_city = capital | government_type = ; | leader_title1 = Lord of Mann | leader_name1 = Elizabeth II | leader_title2 = Lieutenant Governor | leader_name2 = Adam Wood | leader_title3 = Chief Minister | leader_name3 = Allan Bell | legislature = Tynwald | upper_house = Legislative Council | lower_house = House of Keys | area_rank = 196th | area_magnitude = 1 E8 | area_km2 = 572 | area_sq_mi = 221 | percent_water = 0 | population_estimate = 84,655 | population_estimate_rank = 202nd | population_census_year = 2010 | population_density_km2 = 140 | population_density_sq_mi = 362.4 | population_density_rank = 109th | GDP_PPP = $2.113 billion | GDP_PPP_rank = 162nd | GDP_PPP_year = 2010 | GDP_PPP_per_capita = $35,000 | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 12th | sovereignty_type = Status | sovereignty_note = Crown dependency | established_event1 = Lordship of Mann revested in British crown | established_date1 = 1765 | HDI_year=2010 | HDI=0.849 |HDI_rank=14th |HDI_category=very high |Gini=41 | currency = Pound sterling1 | currency_code = GBP | time_zone = GMT | utc_offset = +0 | time_zone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = +1 | date_format = dd/mm/yyyy (AD) | drives_on = left | cctld = .im | calling_code = +44 specifically +44-1624 (landline) area code +44-7524, +44-7624, +44-7924 (mobile) | footnote1 = The Isle of Man Treasury issues its own sterling notes and coins (see Manx pound). | iso3166code = IM }} The '''Isle of Man' ( ; ,Ellan is Manx for "island"; Vannin is the genitive case of Mannin, and means "of Mann". pronounced ), otherwise known simply as Mann ( , ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. The island is not part of the United Kingdom, but its foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the UK Government. Although the United Kingdom does not usually interfere in the island's domestic matters, its "good government" is ultimately the responsibility of the Crown (that is, in practice, the Government of the United Kingdom).Constitution: The term "good government" is used in the "Kilbrandon Report" of the Royal Commission on the Constitution. According to the House of Commons Justice Committee, there is "a high degree of consensus amongst academics, legal advisors, politicians and officials about the meaning of the term 'good government' used in the Kilbrandon Report. They agree that good government would only be called into question in the most serious of circumstances ...", such as "a fundamental breakdown in public order or endemic corruption in the government, legislature or judiciary. ... Kilbrandon suggests that intervention to preserve law and order or in the event of grave internal disruption would be justifiable, but that an attempt to define the circumstances further would be essentially pointless." Source: Report retrieved 15 July 2010. The island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century AD, and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, gradually emerged. In the 9th century, the Norse began to settle there. A Norse-Gaelic culture arose and the island came under Norse control. In 1266, the island became part of Scotland as formalised by the Treaty of Perth. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the island came under the feudal overlordship of the English Crown in 1399. The lordship revested into the British Crown in 1764 but the island never became part of Great Britain or its successor the United Kingdom and retained its status as an internally self-governing Crown dependency. Etymology In the Manx Gaelic language the Isle of Man is known as , where is a Manx word meaning island. The earliest form of 'Man' is or giving the genitive name leading to the word , which is lenited when used after the feminine word ellan, giving Mhannin. As mh is pronounced like a v'' in Goidelic languages, in modern Manx the name becomes '' . The name is related to the figure of Celtic mythology known as Manannán to the Irish and Manawyddan to the Welsh. The name enters recorded history as Mona (Julius Caesar, 54 BC), and is also recorded as Monapia or Monabia (Pliny the Elder, AD 77), Monœda (Ptolemy, AD 150), Mevania or Mænavia (Paulus Orosius, 416), and Eubonia or Eumonia by Irish writers. In Welsh records it is Manaw, and in the Icelandic sagas it is Mön. Though the Isle of Man was never incorporated into the Roman Empire, the island was noted in Greek and Roman accounts where it was called variously Monapia, Mοναοιδα (Monaoida), Mοναρινα (Monarina), Menavi and Mevania. The Old Welsh and Old Irish names for the Isle of Man, Manau and Mano, also occur in Manau Gododdin, the name for an ancient district in north Britain along the lower Firth of Forth. The name is probably connected with the Welsh name of the island of Anglesey, Ynys Môn and possibly with the Celtic root reflected in Welsh mynydd, Breton menez, Scottish Gaelic monadh, "mountain"., which probably derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *''men''-, "to tower". In this case, such a name may have referred to the island apparently rising out of the Irish Sea on the horizon. Indogermanisches Etymologisches Woerterbuch: Record number 1277 (Root / lemma: men-1) History , in the central Isle of Man, with remnants of a Celtic-Norse roundhouse and two longhouses, c. 650–950 AD]] Rising water levels cut off the island from the surrounding islands around 8000 BC. Evidence suggests that colonisation of the Isle took place by sea sometime before 6500 BC. The first residents lived in small natural shelters, hunting, fishing and gathering their food. They used small tools made of flint or bone, examples of which have been found near the coast. Representatives of these artefacts are kept at the Manx Museum.Manx Museum Mesolithic collections about the year 1100. Sodor and Mann in red.]] The Neolithic Period marked the coming of knowledge of farming, better stone tools and pottery. It was during this period that megalithic monuments began to appear around the island. Examples from this period can be found at Cashtal yn Ard near Maughold, King Orry's Grave at Laxey, Meayll Circle near Cregneash, and Ballaharra Stones at St John's. This was not the only Neolithic culture: there were also the local Ronaldsway and Bann cultures.Manx Museum Neolithic collections During the Bronze Age, the large communal tombs of the megalith builders were replaced with smaller burial mounds. Bodies were put in stone-lined graves along with ornamental containers. The Bronze Age burial mounds created long-lasting markers around the countryside.Manx Museum Bronze Age collections According to John T. Koch and others, the Isle of Man in the Late Bronze Age was part of a maritime trading-networked culture called the Atlantic Bronze Age that also included the other Celtic nations, England, France, Spain and Portugal, and ancient Tartessus, and may have been where Celtic languages developed.Aberystwyth University - May The Iron Age marked the beginning of Celtic cultural influence. Large hill forts appeared on hill summits, and smaller promontory forts along the coastal cliffs, while large timber-framed roundhouses were built. It is likely that the first Celtic tribes to inhabit the island were of the Brythonic variety . Around the 5th century AD, cultural influence from Ireland and migration, precipitated a process of Gaelicisation, evidenced by Ogham inscriptions, giving rise to the Manx language, which remains closely related to Irish and Scottish Gaelic.Manx Museum Celtic Farmers (Iron Age) collections Viking settlement of the Isle of Man began at the end of the 8th century. The Vikings established Tynwald and introduced many land divisions that still exist. Geography seen from Cregneash]] The Isle of Man is located in the middle of the northern Irish Sea, approximately equidistant from the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The closest land is southern Scotland. It is long and, at its widest point, wide. It has an area of around .Geography - Isle of Man Public Services Besides the island of Mann itself, the political unit of the Isle of Man includes some nearby small islands: the seasonally inhabited Calf of Man, Chicken Rock on which stands an unmanned lighthouse, St Patrick's Isle and St Michael's Isle. Both of the latter are connected to the mainland by permanent roads/causeways. Hills in the north and south are separated by a central valley. The extreme north is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits from glacial advances from western Scotland during colder times. There are more recently deposited shingle beaches at the Point of Ayre. The island has one mountain higher than , Snaefell, with a height of . According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms: those of the Mann, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven. Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that of Northern Ireland, the Sea, or Neptune. Ian O'Leary Lecture Population At the 2006 interim census, The Isle of Man was home to 80,058 people, of whom 26,218 resided in the island's capital, Douglas. Most of the population was born in the British Isles, with 47.6% born in the Isle of Man, 37.2% born in England, 3.4% in Scotland, 2.1% in Northern Ireland, 2.1% in the Republic of Ireland, 1.2% in Wales and 0.3% born in the Channel Islands. The remaining 6.1% were born elsewhere in the world. Census The Isle of Man Full Census, last held in 2011, has been a decennial occurrence since 1821, with interim censuses being introduced from 1966. It is separate from, but similar to, the Census in the United Kingdom. The 2001 Census was conducted by the Economic Affairs Division of the Isle of Man Treasury, under the authority of the Census Act 1929. Climate The Isle of Man has a temperate climate with cool summers and mild winters. Average rainfall is higher than the average for the British Isles, because of its location at a sufficient distance from Ireland for moisture to be accumulated by the prevailing south-westerly winds. Average rainfall is highest at Snaefell, where it is around a year. At lower levels it can be around a year. Temperatures remain fairly cool with the recorded maximum being at Ronaldsway on 12 July 1983. |date=May 2012}} Government The United Kingdom is responsible for the island's defence and ultimately for good governance, and for representing the island in international forums, while the island's own parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters.Isle of Man Government website Structure The island's parliament, Tynwald, claims to be the oldest continuously existing ruling body in the world.British Library page on the Chronicle of Mann Tynwald is a bicameral or tricameral legislature, comprising the House of Keys (directly elected by universal suffrage) and the Legislative Council (consisting of indirectly elected and ex-officio members). These two bodies meet together in joint session as Tynwald. The executive branch of government is the Council of Ministers, which is composed of members of Tynwald. It is headed by the Chief Minister, currently Allan Bell MHK. The Council of Ministers comprises the greater part of the House of Keys. Vice-regal functions of the Head of State are performed by a Lieutenant Governor. External relations and security Under British law, the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. However, the UK takes care of its external and defence affairs, and retains paramount power to legislate for the island. There are no independent military forces on the Isle of Man although [[HMS Ramsey (M110)|HMS Ramsey]] is affiliated with the town of the same name. From 1938 there was a (now disbanded) Manx Regiment of the British Territorial Army, which saw extensive action during the Second World War. There is an independent Isle of Man police force, which is controlled directly by the Isle of Man Government, but which nonetheless voluntarily submits to inspection by the UK inspectorate of police. Citizenship Citizenship in the Isle of Man is governed by UK law. Passports issued by the Isle of Man Passport Office say "British Islands - Isle of Man" on the cover but the nationality status stated on the passport is simply "British Citizen". Although Manx passport holders are British citizens, because the Isle of Man is not part of the European Union, people born on the Island without a parent or grandparent either born or resident for more than five consecutive years in the UK do not have the same rights as other British citizens with regard to employment and establishment in the EU. Isle of Man passports can be issued to any British citizen in the Isle of Man (whether or not that person has "Manx status" as an Isle of Man worker under the local Isle of Man employment laws). They can also be issued to Manx-connected British citizens residing in the UK or either of the other Crown Dependencies. European Union The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the European Union. Protocol 3 of the UK's Act of Accession to the Treaty of Rome permits trade for Manx goods without tariffs.Manx government explanation of Protocol 3 In conjunction with the Customs and Excise agreement with the UK, this facilitates free trade with the UK. While Manx goods can be freely moved within the EU, capital and services cannot be. EU citizens are entitled to travel and reside, but not work, in the island without restriction. And Manx citizens - without the hereditary qualification outlined above - are similarly restricted from working in the EU. Commonwealth of Nations The Isle of Man is not itself a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. By virtue of its relationship with the United Kingdom, it takes part in several Commonwealth institutions, including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Games. Politics ]] Most Manx politicians stand for election as independents rather than as representatives of political parties. Though political parties do exist, their influence is not nearly as strong as in the United Kingdom. The largest political party with three seats in the House of Keys is the Liberal Vannin Party (established 2006), which promotes greater Manx independence and more accountability in Government. The Manx Labour Party is the second largest party with one seat. A number of pressure groups also exist on the island. Mec Vannin advocates the establishment of a sovereign republic.MecVannin website The Positive Action Group campaign for three key elements to be introduced into the governance of the island: open accountable government, rigorous control of public finances, and a fairer society.PAG website Local government Local government on the Isle of Man is based on the concept of ancient parishes. There are two types of local authorities: a corporation for the Borough of Douglas, and bodies of commissioners for the town districts of Castletown, Peel and Ramsey, the village districts of Kirk Michael, Laxey, Onchan, Port Erin and Port St Mary, and the 15 'parish districts' (those parishes or parts of parishes which do not fall within the districts previously mentioned). Local authorities are under the supervision of the Isle of Man Government's Department of Local Government and the Environment (DOLGE). Economy The Isle of Man is a low-tax economy with no capital gains tax, wealth tax, stamp duty, or inheritance taxDirect Tax - Isle of Man Government and a top rate of income tax of 20%. A tax cap is in force; the maximum amount of tax payable by an individual is £115,000 or £230,000 for couples if they choose to have their incomes jointly assessed. The £115,000 tax cap equates to an assessable income of £589,550. Personal income is assessed and taxed on a total worldwide income basis rather than a remittance basis. This means that all income earned throughout the world is assessable for Manx tax rather than only income earned in or brought into the Island. The rate of corporation tax is 0% for almost all types of income, the only exceptions are that the profits of banks are taxed at 10%, as is rental (or other) income from land and buildings situated on the Isle of Man.New Assessor of Income Tax - Isle of Man GovernmentForget Monaco: Isle of Man cuts tax to tempt super-rich - Tax, Money - Independent.co.uk Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism form key sectors of the economy. Agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, now make declining contributions to the Island's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Trade takes place mostly with the United Kingdom. The island is in customs union with the UK, and related revenues are pooled and shared under the Common Purse Agreement. The Manx government promotes island locations for making films by contributing to the production costs. Since 1995, over eighty films have been made on the island. The policy has been criticized as unsustainable. Since 2007, the Isle of Man government invested £34 million in the film industry but recouped only £6.3 million, representing a loss of over £27 million. The Isle of Man Government Lottery operated from 1986 to 1997. Since 2 December 1999 the island has participated in the United Kingdom National Lottery.Can I Play The National Lottery On The Isle of Man?UK National Lottery Diary The island is the only jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom where it is possible to play the UK National Lottery.National Lottery FAQ:Can I play while overseas? Since 2010 it has also been possible for projects in the Isle of Man to receive national lottery Good Causes Funding.Manx charities to benefit from lotteryAPPENDIX 4: CORRESPONDENCE ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY BILL Paliment.uk The good causes funding is distributed by the Manx Lottery Trust.Manx lottery Trust Tynwald receives the 12p lottery duty for tickets sold in the Island. Communications The main telephone provider on the Isle of Man is Manx Telecom. At present, the island has two mobile operators: Manx Telecom, previously known as Manx Pronto, and Sure. For a short time, Cloud9 operated as a third mobile operator on the island, but has since withdrawn. Broadband internet services are available through four local providers which are Wi-Manx, Domicilium, Manx Computer Bureau and Manx Telecom. The island does not have its own ITU country code, but is accessed via the UK's country code (+44) and the island's telephone numbers are part of the UK telephone numbering plan with local dialling codes 01624 for landlines and 07524, 07624 and 07924 for mobiles. In 1996 the Isle of Man Government obtained permission to use the .im national top-level domain (TLD) and has ultimate responsibility for its use. The domain is managed on a daily basis by Domicilium, an island-based internet service provider. In December 2007, the Manx Electricity Authority and its telecommunications subsidiary, e-llan Communications commissioned the laying of a new fibre-optic link that connects the island to a worldwide fibre-optic network. The Isle of Man has three radio stations: Manx Radio, Energy FM and 3 FM. There is no insular television service and local transmitters retransmit British mainland digital broadcasts via the free-to-air digital terrestrial service Freeview. Isle of Man is part of the regions served by BBC North West for BBC One and BBC Two television services, and Granada Television for ITV. Many television services are available by satellite, such as Sky, and Freesat from the group of satellites at 28.2° east, as well as services from a range of other satellites around Europe such as the Astra satellites at 19.2° east and Hotbird. The Isle of Man has three newspapers, all weeklies, and all owned by Isle of Man Newspapers, a division of the Edinburgh media company Johnston Press. The Isle of Man Courier (distribution 36,318) is free and distributed to homes on the island. The other two newspapers are Isle of Man Examiner (circulation 13,276) and the Manx Independent (circulation 12,255). Postal services are the responsibility of Isle of Man Post, which took over from the UK General Post Office in 1973. Transport The island has a total of Isle of Man - About the Island of public roads, all of which are paved. In areas denoted by derestricted signs in the Isle of Man, there is no overriding national speed restriction; only local speed limits are set. Rules for reckless driving and most other driving regulations are enforced in a manner similar to the UK. There is a comprehensive bus network, operated by the government owned bus operator, Bus Vannin. The Isle of Man Sea Terminal in Douglas is served by frequent ferries to and from Heysham. Douglas is also served by frequent summer services to and from Liverpool with a more restricted timetable operating in winter. There are also limited summer-only services to and from Belfast and Dublin. All ferries are operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The only commercial airport on the island is the Isle of Man Airport at Ronaldsway. There are scheduled and chartered flights to numerous airports in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as further afield. The Irish operator Aer Arann entered a code-sharing agreement with Abu Dhabi airliner Etihad Airways in 2009, a deal which provides for the booking of one-ticket flights from the Isle of Man. The island used to have an extensive narrow-gauge railway system, both steam-operated and electric, but the majority of the steam railway tracks have been taken out of service and the track removed. Currently there is a steam railway which runs between Douglas and Port Erin, an electric railway which runs between Douglas and Ramsey and an electric mountain railway which climbs Snaefell. Space commerce The Isle of Man has become a centre for emerging private space travel companies. A number of the competitors in the Google Lunar X Prize, a $30 million competition for the first privately funded team to send a robot to the moon, are based on the Island. The team summit for the X Prize was held on the Island in October 2010. In 2010 the Island was named the fifth most likely nation to reach the moon next. In January 2011 two research space stations owned by Excalibur Almaz arrived on the Island and were kept in an aircraft hangar at the airfield at the former RAF Jurby located near Jurby. Culture The culture of the Isle of Man is influenced by its Celtic, and to a lesser extent its Norse, origins. Proximity to the UK, popularity as a UK tourist destination, and mass immigration by British migrant workers has meant that British influence has been dominant since the Revestment period. Revival campaigns have attempted to preserve the surviving vestiges of Manx culture after a long period of Anglicisation, and significant interest in the Manx language, history and musical tradition has been the result. Language and English]] The official language of the Isle of Man is English, while Manx Gaelic has also had official status since 1985. Manx has traditionally been spoken but is now considered "critically endangered". Manx is a Goidelic Celtic language and is one of a number of insular Celtic languages spoken in the British Isles. Manx has been officially recognised as a legitimate autochthonous regional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, ratified by the United Kingdom on 27 March 2001 on behalf of the Isle of Man government. Manx is closely related to the Irish language and Scottish Gaelic. In Manx English, the greetings and , which mean good morning and good afternoon respectively, can also be heard. Like Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the English terms evening and afternoon are referred to with one word. Another term used in Manx English is , meaning time enough, and represents a stereotypical view of the Manx attitude to life. Symbols as seen in front of Ronaldsway Airport terminal.]] For centuries, the island's symbol has been the so-called "three legs of Mann" ( ), a triskelion of three legs conjoined at the thigh. The Manx triskelion, which dates with certainty to the late 13th century, is of an uncertain origin. It has been suggested that its origin lies in Sicily, an island which has been associated with triskelions since ancient times. }} Another possibility is that its origin lies with the emblem of the 10th century Norse-Gaelic dynasty which ruled the island at the time. The symbol appears in the island's official flag and official coat of arms, as well as its currency. The Manx triskelion may be reflected in the island's motto, , which appears as part of the island's coat of arms. The Latin motto translates into English as "whichever way you throw, it will stand" or "whithersoever you throw it, it will stand". }} It dates to the late 17th century when it is known to have appeared on the island's coinage. }} The original meaning of the motto, however, may have referred to the poor quality of coinage which was common at the time—as in "however it is tested it will pass". }}. This webpage cited: }}. This webpage also cited: }} Religion The predominant religious tradition of the island is Christianity, and the ancient Christian Church of the island is today part of the Church of England. The diocese has an unbroken history from 1154 to the present day, during which there have been many changes in tradition and detail. As with all ancient Anglican churches, the diocese was once (and until the Reformation) part of the then mainstream of western Christian tradition, the Roman Catholic Church. The diocese has been part of the national churches of Norway, Scotland, and England. It has also come under the influence of Irish religious tradition. Since 1541 Act of Parliament (1541) 33 Hen.8 c.31 its bishop and parishes (currently 28)A full list is given on the diocesan website. have been part of the Province of York.See official entry in the Anglican Communion directory. Other Christian churches also operate on the Isle of Man. The second largest denomination is the Methodist Church, which is close in size to the Anglican diocese. There are eight Roman Catholic parish churches, included in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. Additionally there are five Baptist churches, four Pentecostal churches, the Salvation Army, a ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, two United Reformed churches, as well as other Christian churches. There is a small Muslim community, with its own mosque in Douglas, and there is also a small Jewish community.Many religious organisations on the island are listed on the Isle of Man government site "Religious Faiths and Organisations". Myth, legend and folklore ]] In Manx mythology, the island was ruled by Manannán mac Lir, a Celtic sea god, who would draw his misty cloak around the island to protect it from invaders. One of the principal theories about the origin of the name Mann is that it is named after Manannan. In the Manx tradition of folklore, there are many stories of mythical creatures and characters. These include the , a malevolent spirit who according to legend blew the roof off St Trinian's Church in a fit of rage; the ; the ; and the , a ghostly black dog who wandered the walls and corridors of Peel Castle. The Isle of Man is also said to be home to fairies, known locally as ''the little folk or themselves. There is a famous Fairy Bridge and it is said to be bad luck if one fails to wish the fairies good morning or afternoon when passing over it. It used to be a tradition to leave a coin on the bridge to ensure good luck. Other types of fairies are the and the . An old Irish story tells how Lough Neagh was formed when Ireland's legendary giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (commonly anglicised to Finn McCool) ripped up a portion of the land and tossed it at a Scottish rival. He missed, and the chunk of earth landed in the Irish Sea, thus creating the island. Peel Castle has been proposed as a possible location of the Arthurian AvalonAvalon's LocationIsle of Man or as the location of the Grail Castle, site of Lancelot's encounter with the sword bridge of King Melegaunt.King Arthur, Norma Lorre Goodrich, Harper and Row, 1989, p. 318 Cuisine Traditionally the national dish of the island is ''Spuds and Herrin, boiled potatoes and herring. This plain dish is chosen because of its role supporting the subsistence farmers of the island, who crofted the land and fished the sea for centuries. A more recent claim for the title of national dish would be the ubiquitous chips, cheese and gravy. This dish, which is similar to poutine, is found in most of the island's fast-food outlets, and consists of thick cut chips, covered in shredded Cheddar cheese and topped with a thick gravy.Isle of Man - Factfile - Daily Life Seafood has traditionally accounted for a large proportion of the local diet. Although commercial fishing has declined in recent years, local delicacies include Manx kippers (smoked herring) which are produced by the smokeries in Peel on the west coast of the island, albeit mainly from North Sea herring these days. The smokeries also produce other specialities including smoked salmon and bacon. Crab, lobster and scallops are commercially fished, and the Queen Scallop (Queenies) is regarded as a particular delicacy, with a light, sweet flavour. Cod, ling and mackerel are often angled for the table, and freshwater trout and salmon can be taken from the local rivers and lakes, supported by the Government fish hatchery at Cornaa. Cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are all commercially farmed, Manx lamb from the hill-farms being a popular dish. The Loaghtan, the indigenous breed of Manx sheep, has a rich, dark meat that has found favour with chefs, featuring in dishes on the BBC's MasterChef series. Manx cheese has also found some success, featuring smoked and herb-flavoured varieties and is stocked by many of the UK's supermarket chains. Manx cheese took bronze medals in the 2005 British Cheese Awards, and sold 578 tonnes over the year. Beer is brewed on a commercial scale by Okells Brewery (established in 1850) and Bushy's Brewery. The island has a beer purity law, resembling the German Reinheitsgebot, dating to 1874.Purely Isle of Man Sports The Isle of Man is represented as a nation in the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games and hosted the IV Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. Manx athletes have won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, including the one by cyclist Mark Cavendish in 2006 in the Scratch race. The Island Games were first held on the island in 1985, and again in 2001. Isle of Man teams and individuals participate in many sports both on and off the island including rugby union, football, gymnastics, field hockey, netball, Taekwondo, bowling and cricket. It being an island, many types of watersports are also popular with residents. Motorcycle racing The main international event associated with the island is the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race, colloquially known as "The TT",Wright, David. 100 Years of the Isle of Man TT: A Century of Motorcycle Racing. The Crowood Press, 2007 which began in 1907. It takes place in late May and early June. The TT is now an international road racing event for motorcycles, which used to be part of the World Championship, and is long considered to be one of the "greatest motorcycle sporting events of the world".Disko, Sasha. The Image of the “Tourist Trophy” and British Motorcycling in the Weimar Republic. International Journal of Motorcycle Studies, Nov 2007 Taking place over a two week period, it has become a festival for motorcycling culture, makes a huge contribution to the island’s economy and has become part of Manx identity.Vaukins, Simon. The Isle of Man TT Races: Politics, Economics and National Identity. International Journal of Motorcycle Studies, Nov 2007 For many, the Isle carries the title "road racing capital of the world".Faragher, Martin. “Cultural History: Motor-Cycle Road Racing.” A New History of the Isle of Man Volume V: The Modern Period 1830-1999. Ed. John Belchem. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2000 The Manx Grand Prix is a separate motorcycle event for amateurs and private entrants that uses the same page 4 Snaefell Mountain Course in late August and early September. Cammag Prior to the introduction of football at the turn of the twentieth century, Cammag was the national sport of the Isle of Man. It is similar to the Irish hurling, and the Scottish game of shinty. Nowadays it is an annual match at St John's. Manx animals are bred for their meat on the island.]] There are two domestic animals specifically connected to the Isle of Man, though they are also found elsewhere. The Manx cat is a breed of cat noted for having a genetic mutation that causes it to have a shortened tail. The length of this tail can range from a few inches, known as a "stumpy", to being completely nonexistent, or "rumpy". Manx cats display a range of colours and usually have somewhat longer hind legs compared to most cats. The cats have been used as a symbol of the Isle of Man on coins and stamps and at one time the Manx government operated a breeding centre to ensure the continuation of the breed. The Manx Loaghtan sheep is a breed native to the island. It has dark brown wool and four or sometimes six horns. The meat is considered to be a delicacy. There are several flocks on the island and others have been started in England and Jersey. Famous residents See also * Outline of the Isle of Man * * * *Towns in the Isle of Man References Notes Bibliography * * * * External links * CIA World Factbook - Listing for the Isle of Man * Isle of Man Weather * Isle of Man News * Isle of Man News * isleofman.com The Isle of Man online. * Isle of Man Guide * Isle of Man (European Union) passport description in PRADO * Manx Government A comprehensive site covering many aspects of Manx life from fishing to financial regulation * Manx Wiki * All about life on the Isle of Man * Isle of Man Airport * Information on the work and duties of Members of the House of Keys * Images of the Isle of Man at the National Monuments Record, English Heritage Geographic locale | list = Lat. and Long. (Douglas) }} }} }} * * Category:Celtic culture Man Category:Celtic nations Man Category:Former Norwegian colonies Category:Crown dependencies Man Category:Island countries